Ranked!: The Best First Movies of Summer (2010 - 2019) (Patreon)

by Keith Phipps

Every summer movie season has its kick-off film, that May or April release that says, “Hey, the big movies are here again!” Or at least that was true until 2020, when we essentially had no summer movie season. And it won't be true for 2021, unless we stretch the definition of “big movie” to its breaking point. We’re not getting a true blockbuster-sized movie of the sort that announces the arrival of summer until F9 June 25th. (I’m not counting In the Heights or Lucca, both of which look extremely promising, only because nothing blows up in them and neither contains gags involving bodily fluid [I'm guessing].)

Anyway, with a twinge of nostalgia, here’s a somewhat incomplete ranking of the past decade’s best first summer movies.

UNRANKED:

Pitch Perfect 2 (May 7, 2015)Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (May 5, 2016)

Bridesmaids became a huge, summer-initiating hit in 2011 and set a pattern for comedies serving as the first big release of the summer season. I missed these two. I didn’t really care for the first Pitch Perfect, which I must have found more mean-spirited (and much less funny) than others, so I never watched the sequels. I did enjoy Neighbors (see below) but not enough to check out the sequel. Looking back, it’s remarkable how quickly big comedies with big stars went from being a major part of studios’ output to virtually non-existent. Looking ahead to this summer, does the Space Jam sequel count?

8. Dark Shadows (May 9, 2012)

The last (almost certainly ever) and least of the long collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, Dark Shadows isn’t as unwatchable as its reputation suggests thanks to a few funny moments and the usual rich Burton production design. And wouldn’t you know it, I’m out of nice things to say about it?

7. Iron Man 2 (May 7, 2010)

Still the most disappointing of the MCU movies. Marvel has subsequently established it has a high floor for quality, meaning even the worst entries are still pretty watchable. This one is just that: watchable.

6. Deadpool 2 (May 11, 2018)

I’ve enjoyed both Deadpool movies but I can’t say either left a deep, lasting impression apart from a few gags. Comic highlight: Rob Delaney. Runner-up: Brad Pitt.

5. Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (May 3, 2019)

Fun nonsense that refashions some seemingly unadaptable IP into an entertaining movie. My wife still makes fun of me for not guessing the film-ending twist.

4. The Great Gatsby (May 10, 2013)

This isn’t a great adaptation of the Fitzgerald classic in the sense that it never feels like it taps into the themes of the novel. But it’s big and splashy and Luhrmanny. I was never bored. Also, it was weirdly refreshing to see Leonardo DiCaprio looking movie-star handsome after a long, grungy stretch. Maybe The Revenant was his idea of doing penance for such a relapse.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (April 28, 2017)

A step down from the first Guardians, but see above re: high floor.

2. Neighbors (May 9, 2014)

Is it too soon to feel nostalgic for the Rogen/Feig/Apatow/Stoller/etc. moment in big-screen comedies? It had its downs but also its ups, like this one, which captures what it feels like when you realize that becoming an adult means letting go of some of the abandon of youth and how maybe, no matter how awesome being young was, that might be an okay thing.

1. Bridesmaids (May 13, 2011)

Speaking of Feig, etc., Bridesmaids holds up pretty well, if more for its character moments than some of its comic set pieces. (I think the plane scene is pretty sweaty, but I guess I’m in the minority.) For a while it made me think that Kristen Wiig should push more for dramatic parts than follow her more over-the-top instincts, a theory seemingly borne out by projects like The Skeleton Twins and Welcome to Me. But then Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (which, like Bridemaids, Wiig co-wrote with Annie Mumolo) completely blew that theory out of the water. (Have you seen that one yet? You should.)

Okay, thanks for indulging my instinct to make lists that have no other outlet. This may not be the last. (And a tip of the hat to Alfred Soto’s Humanizing the Vacuum, the gold standard for weirdly specific pop culture lists, among other fine pieces of writing.) Also, apologies for any technical difficulties you might have had downloading the most recent episode. They seem to have been resolved. That one’s dedicated to Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married ahead of next week’s Shiva Baby. Do yourself a favor and see both if you haven’t already.

Want stuff to read? You know we’ve got you covered.

• For Polygon, Tasha Robinson examined how Marvel’s TV series are solving its problem creating memorable villains.

• For GQ, Keith Phipps considered the Soderberghian qualities of the Soderbergh Oscars.

• For Vulture, Josef Adalian explored Netflix’s strategies to help users make up their minds as they try to choose what to watch.

• Also for Vulture, our pal Rachel Handler spoke to Regina Hall about the great Support the Girls.

• Also for Polygon, Max Covill dug deep into Legolas’ physics-defying way of getting on a horse in The Two Towers.

• Genevieve and I are big fans of Peacock’s new sitcom Rutherford Falls. (We might do a bonus episode on it.) Check it out then check out Vulture, which has a bunch of pieces on the show this week, including this interview with co-star Michael Greyeyes.